Friday, October 29, 2010

Dragon Age II: 45% On Disc Edition

Bit late, but figured I had to take a shot at this because Bioware and EA are currently the shining posterboy example for how to take what is potentially a really good game, and destroy it through scam locking EGGZKLUSIFFS and disc locked/withheld content.

The upcoming Bioware Signature Edition of DA2 will be available if you preorder the full game (read as: 40% of what the game should be). With it comes a bunch of preorder disc locked content much like in the first game. At least this time round, they're not pulling what they did with the first game, where in order to get ALL of the disc locked promo content you would have had to buy the game 7 times. Anyone with a brain obviously pirated all of that shit shortly after the game's release so it's a total non-issue. But... that hasn't stopped them from once again trying to sell a 'limited' or 'collectors' or 'special' edition that gives you nothing but disc locked content.

This is their advertising poster image below:

Sounds quite nice doesn't it? Nice flashy eye catching artwork. Now look closely at what you really get. $20 of additional content! Wow... REALLY?! So, why are people having to pay $20 to unlock what's already on the disc? Why is this being restricted to those who preorder only? Ah yes, of course... because if they didn't offer any incentive at all, then nobody would buy... especially after how many people were rightfully pissed off when they announced the No Withheld Content aka Ultimate Edition of Dragon Age 1, after many ultimately shelled out the extra money for the withheld and scam locked content. Obviously, the Ultimate Edition was the version that should have come out day one, for $60. Not a year later for the price of a new game AFTER the scam locking of content has largely succeeded and pissed off the playerbase.

Either way, this is what they're doing with Dragon Age 2. For the sake of honesty, I felt it was necessary to modify their advertising image very slightly below:

I believe it is more accurate in explaining to the prospective morons buyers who are considering buying this title on day one. Of course, I cannot recommend buying this at all, especially on day one. Wait a year, for the proverbial No Withheld Content Edition to come out instead. If you absolutely must play this on day one, rent or pirate it instead.

After all, incomplete/beta versions of games aren't things that shouldn't be paid for, why should things change now? :)